Archive for September, 2008

Descending New Angels is traveling from St. Louis to Quincy Friday to headline at Turner Hall with Quincy’s Predawn Hour and Downcast of Macomb.

Descending New Angels’ lead singer, Randy Shanks, sounds remarkably like Scott Stapp of Creed with a little Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam mixed in. If you are really into Creed, then this should be a reason to check Descending New Angels out.

If you’re not into Creed — like me — don’t let this deter you, because not only does Shanks seem to lack Stapp’s ego, but he also conveys genuine feeling, which is where he sounds a bit more like Vedder.

The music is a mix of acoustic and electric guitars and makes it clear this band began with two guitarists — Shanks and Erik Simpson. Their 3 Doors Down influence is obvious, as many of their songs begin with just a guitar riff and often with an acoustic guitar.

It’s hard to find a band that pays this much attention to writing their music and playing their instruments and still has an interesting singer.

Seeing them live will really show their ability to blend rock, southern blues and alternative. So, if you are missing some actual ROCK music, and not watered down alternative with nasal-sounding vocals, go to this show. I will see you there!

Descending New Angels, Predawn Hour and Downcast (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Turner Hall
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages welcome
INFO: www.myspace.com/predawnhour

For a ton of other options in live shows this weekend, please read below!

UPCOMING SHOWS

Argyle Road (country/classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Friday
WHERE: The Lucky Star Saloon,
St. Francisville, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/argyleroad

Atlas Lost Balance and Bury the Ocean (Christian)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday
WHERE: The Crossing
HOW MUCH: free
INFO: www.myspace.com/burytheocean

Joker Moon Band
WHEN: 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Eagles, Quincy
HOW MUCH: $3

Imbakt (country/classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Friday
WHERE: City Limits, Mount Sterling
INFO: www.myspace.com/impaktband

Bury The Ocean, Believing In Autumn, Goat (Christian/metal)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Uturn Youth Group, 415 Spring St.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/burytheocean

Johnny Henry (acoustic)
WHEN: 2 – 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Crown Valley – Tievoli Winery, 25795 Highway N, Clarksville, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/johnnyhenrymusic

Impakt performing as Nashville Bound Band (country/classic rock)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Illinois Veterans Home, Quincy, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/impaktband

Transfer To Red, Dope Boy Allstars and Comatose Kitty (rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages welcome
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall

The Cheeseburgers (classic rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m Saturday
WHERE: The Dock, 1021 Bonansinga Drive
INFO: www.myspace.com/thecheeseburgersquincy

TORQUE (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: River City Billiards, Hannibal, Mo.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/torquerocks 

Raised On Radio (blues/classic rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Grove Inn, Quincy
INFO: www.myspace.com/raisedonradiolive

Thru the Ashes (rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Club Mississippi, Louisiana, Mo.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/thrutheashesacoustic

Ridgerunner Jamboree (country/bluegrass/gospel)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: 111 E. Main, Ewing, Missouri
How Much:  $7, all ages welcome

Be safe and have a great weekend!

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.

I’m having one of those weeks where I NEED a live rock show.

Well, I’m in luck, because there is an awesome one this Saturday with Nashville’s all-girl punk band Trampskirts at 7 p.m. at Music @ the Mall in Keokuk, Iowa.

I have not seen Trampskirts live, but I like what I have heard. It promises to be a show where if nothing else you can let go and rock out to loud music.

Plus, how often do you get to see a bunch of awesome girls play instruments and sing all their own music around here or anywhere for that matter?

They are getting ready to start recording their second release with Supernova Records at the beginning of 2009, so it’s a good time to say you saw them when they weren’t that big.

I would like to commend Music @ the Mall for bringing in a touring act promoting this show so well.

Trampskirts, Dead Zebbra, Trash and the Timebombs
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main St., Keokuk, Iowa.
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages welcome.
www.myspace.com/musicatthemall

OTHER SHOWS THIS WEEKEND:

Street party with B-Ville Bombers and Staggard (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Down on the Corner, Marcelline, Ill.
INFO: Call (217) 964-2464

Vertigo (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: The Back Alley Bar and Grill, Pittsfield, Ill.
www.myspace.com/thebackalleybarandgrill

NOWAKE (rock)
WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Twilight Zone, Quincy.
www.myspace.com/nowakemusic

MIXED TAPE
"Human Being," by Guns n’ Roses
"Come Clarity," by In Flames
"Eddie Vedder," by Local H
"Hand Of Blood," by Bullet For My Valentine
"In Regards To Myself," by Underoath
"The Razor," by Head Automatica
"The End Of The World," by Cold
"Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja," by Lostprophets
"Nutshell," by Alice In Chains
"Sticks and Stones," by Alien Ant Farm

— Geoff Eighinger, Ashland, Ohio

Submit 10 tracks of your own for publication to jmartin@whig.com.

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.

Quincy’s rock quintet TORQUE had nearly everything working against them Saturday night when they took the stage to perform at O’Griff’s East Room.

Between a last-minute venue/city change and the constant rain showers, they could have gone through the motions to an empty room. This was not the case, and even though this was the first time I saw them perform, I could tell that they probably go all out every time they play.

Jay Briscoe, left, and
Alan Lawless

They nearly busted out of the East Room with five members and a giant sound system (with smoke machine) that didn’t just thud in your chest but shook the floor. I’d like to hear them in an appropriate sized venue, where they have room to breathe and really turn it up.

The guys are rightfully very proud of having the best PA system in the area, which is run by Copper Mine Studios owner Alan Lawless. There is even an entire photo album of their sound and lighting equipment on their Myspace page. If you are a struggling musician, go and check out their page, but make sure to have a tissue ready as you tear up with envy.

TORQUE performed mostly covers Saturday of Breaking Benjamin (alternative/rock) type songs. Honestly, I’m not really a cover band person myself, but they did a good job of vocally making them their own. They do have some interesting originals which you can check out here.

Frontman Jay Briscoe puts everything on the line with each song and that along with their performance quality, sound and look, makes it feel like an arena rock show even on a rainy Saturday at the East Room.

Check them out:

TORQUE (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Sept. 27
WHERE: River City Billiards, 603 Broadway, Hannibal
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO

Please check out the live events blog on Thursday and have a great week!

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.

Billboard’s Hot 100 LIst of All Time has rightfully offended many music lovers.

However, blaming Billboard is misguided. Instead, blame the millions of people who actually bought their own copy of No. 5 on the list, "Macarena." Those people owe anyone who reads the Hot 100 List of All Time an apology.

The list is compiled by a point system, which
awards more points for higher rankings on the Top 100 and rankings are determined by
single sales.

Here are the top 10 with some notes from me.

1. "THE TWIST," by Chubby Checker (1960/1962)
ME: You know a song was super popular when over 40 years later its a wedding reception staple.

2. "SMOOTH," by Santana Featuring Rob Thomas (1999)

ME: Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I think I may be guilty of owning this single in high school.

3. "MACK THE KNIFE," by Bobby Darin (1959)
ME: You may not recognize the song title, but you will recognize the finger-snapping tune when you hear it.

4. "HOW DO I LIVE," by LeAnn Rimes (1997)
ME: Guilty as charged; I owned this in high school as well. The 90s were not a great time in mainstream music with the advent of boy bands and pop tarts. I’ll redeem myself by saying most of the music I own did not make this list.

5. "MACARENA" (BAYSIDE BOYS MIX), by Los Del Rio (1996)
ME: That’s it. The world is ending. Everyone take cover, because we are all going to feel the wrath of the music gods upon us for this one. This is not just the fault of those who actually bought this album, but also anyone who ever partook in doing the ridiculous dance that went along with it. I know it’s silly fun for some people, but I wish it wasn’t able to make the list.

6. "PHYSICAL," Olivia Newton-John (1981)
ME: Call me a child of the 80s, but this song reminds me of when Kelly, Lisa and Jesse "sang" in a video to this song on a "Saved By The Bell" episode. Plus, it’s funny to know people actually purchased this song.

7. "YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE," by Debby Boone (1977)
ME: This one is a definite grocery store ballad that you hear playing as you are picking out frozen food for dinner that night. It is Pat Boone’s daughter, though, so that’s something.

Hey, at least "Hey Jude" made the list.

8. "HEY JUDE," by The Beatles (1968)
ME: Obvious choice and as far as I’m concerned the most respectable song on the list.

9. "WE BELONG TOGETHER," by Mariah Carey (2005)
ME: I’m not a fan of the song or anything Carey has done  since I was 13 and was given "Always Be My Baby" as a present at Christmas from a friend. She has better songs, but everyone who bought this one made this happen.

10. "UN-BREAK MY HEART," by Toni Braxton (1996)
ME: I did own this one in 1996 as a single, but it’s still surprising to know it was the second biggest single by a female artist ever according to Wikipedia.

I own or owned 22 out of the 100 songs on the list. If you think about it, that is not a lot, considering how many albums had to be sold to make this list.

ARTISTS
Billboard’s Top 100 Artists of All Time may make more sense to you. We all know one-hit-wonders exist, but to be a top selling artist of all time you must make albums full of songs people want to buy. The top 3 are The Beatles, Madonna and Elton John.

Find out how Billboard compiled the Hot 100 List of All Time here.

Every song you hear on the radio, MTV or the Internet is written by one person or a few people working together. The person who is singing the song is not always who wrote it.

There are ways to get a song you wrote off your shelf, out of your computer and farther than your MySpace profile.

Quincy’s Laser Images owner, Kevin Kewney, used his background in music to create an online "song promotion community," called SongNation that can help you do just that.

Kewney came up with the idea for SongNation by realizing "there are many great songs out there sitting on people’s shelves that are not being promoted."

Below is an interview with Kewney about his site and other song promotion facts.

SONGNATION.COM

FEATURES
- There are different service levels to accommodate a songwriter’s entire song catalog. A free three-song account, called “Personal Membership,” is good for beginners.

- Listeners can sign up for free.

- Songwriters can upload a photo and biography.

- Songwriters also can upload and stream songs (streaming is the ability to listen to a song using Adobe’s Flash Technology without the listener having to download the song. This protects the songwriter’s work from being illegally copied and distributed.)

- Lyrics and other pertinent information can be uploaded that might help someone who is searching for a song for a particular use.

- The site allows messaging, commenting and rating other’s songs.

- You can create a play list of “favorites.”

WRITING PROCESS
- Co-write with people at or above your level.

- Get feedback from those with more experience than yourself. Take this feedback and then keep re-writing until the song is at its highest standards. SongNation.com has an update audio feature that allows you to keep posting the latest version of your song while retaining the other data such as the lyrics.

SONG PROMOTION
- Networking is key.

- Travel to music hubs, like Nashville and LA. In Nashville for example, there are many opportunities to perform your songs at writer nights. 

COMMON MISTAKES
I think a very common beginner mistake would be to send out a bunch of CDs in the mail to publishing companies and expect that they will get listened to. Chances are they won’t. Publishers are flooded with material. The key to getting in is through someone like an entertainment attorney, record producer or other personal referral. Of course the talent needs to be there. 

QUINCY MUSIC SCENE
It needs to be more connected. This blog is a very good thing for Quincy!  I’d like to say … if you are in a band or are a songwriter, please feel free to use SongNation.com as a tool.

CONTACT
Kevin Kewney, songwriter
DEGREE: Bachelor’s in management from Columbia College in Chicago
SongNation.com -  Song Ventures, LLC, 410 S. 10th St., Quincy, IL 62301
EMAIL: info@songnation.com

Please feel free to send me other questions to ask Kevin for future song writing blogs and please look for a weekend events blog on Thursday. Have a great week!

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.